Stroke Rehabilitation Outcome During COVID-19 Lockdown

With 16'000 patients hospitalized and with new permanent disability in approximately 7'000 individuals every year in Switzerland, stroke has a major impact on quality of life and is an enormous socioeconomic burden. Virtually all patients receive inpatient rehabilitation in the sub-acute phase poststroke. However, also in the later phases poststroke, patients receive rehabilitation interventions in outpatient rehabilitation clinics and private practices, with goal to improve or maintain their functional capacity.

Currently, Switzerland finds itself in an extraordinary situation. The Federal Council has issued a series of measures aimed at the population, organizations and institutions, and the cantons. The aim is to curb the spread of the coronavirus and assure the provision of healthcare. The people are invoked to stay at home and only leave the home if absolutely necessary. If they are over the age of 65 or have an underlying medical condition, the Federal Council strongly recommend that you stay at home under any circumstances unless you have to go to the doctor.

With the recommendation of the Swiss Federal Council almost all stroke patients belong to the group who should stay home. Furthermore, all outpatient rehabilitation clinics have reduced the interventions to a minimum. It is unknown how a sudden stop of rehabilitation influences the stroke patients' functional capacities and their perceived quality of life.

Inclusion criteria

• Ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke, confirmed by MRI-DWI and/or CT
• Participating in a stroke research project before the Lockdown (ESTREL - BASEC Nr. 2018-02021/ RE-USE - BASEC-Nr. 2017-01070)
• Age 18 years or older
• Verbal and written informed consent of the patient after participants' information

Exclusion criteria

• Severe communication or cognitive deficits, that cause inability to follow the procedures